Youths perform at Gaan Ngai festival in Imphal East on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Imphal, Dec. 29: The Zeliangrong community in Manipur today kicked off its annual five-day Gaan Ngai festival with focus on preserving its culture and identity.

Loss of culture is loss of identity — the theme of the festival at the state-level programme at Imphal’s Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre — made it very clear that culture and identity are dear to the community.

The celebrations came at a time when more and more members of the Zeliangrong community, categorised under Naga ethnic group, are converting to Christianity.

The community worships Tinkao Ragwang.

There are about 120 Zeliangrong villages in Manipur but only about 20 villages in the hills and 64 villages in the four valley districts of Manipur still follow the religion of their ancestors.

“We are facing threat from Christianity and foreign culture is invading our community, subsequently threatening our identity. Conversion is a crime. So the festival is a time when we do everything possible to preserve and promote our culture and identity. Special programmes are held for the purpose,” Daimei Shyam, a member of the organising committee, said.

That the community was desperate to preserve their age-old tradition was evident when all those turning up for the programme wore traditional apparel.

Songs, dance items and other rituals related to the Zeliangrong tradition were presented.

The organisers distributed packed boiled pork, a traditional food item, to the participants.

The programme began with the ritual of offering wine to the tribal deity, Tinkao Ragwang. After invoking god with another round of rituals, chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who was the chief guest at the function, lit the candle with “sacred fire” obtained from dry leaves, a traditional way of igniting fire.

The main highlights of the programme included presentation of traditional song and dance items by cultural troupes from Thoubal, Bishnupur, Imphal and Senapati.

During the festival, the community will also hold special rituals to honour the dead.

Stating that the Zeliangrong community had a rich culture and tradition, Ibobi Singh urged the community to preserve them.

“The theme of the festival has rightly said if culture is lost identity is lost. So the community should not allow its culture and identity to get lost. Other communities should also respect and help preserve the culture and identity of the Zeliangrongs,” Ibobi Singh said.